Have you determined that there may be “higher” levels of lead in your water? You might want to consider water treatment methods such as reverse osmosis, distillation, and carbon filters. Off the bat, to minimize lead from your tap water, do not use hot tap water when preparing food or drink. Make sure to use cold water after flushing the tap. Then you can heat it if needed.
The CDC (Center for Disease Control) suggests three ways to remove lead from drinking water:
- Distillation
- Carbon Filtration
- Reverse Osmosis
Lead Removal – Distillation
Distillation is a very slow process. And it requires a lot of energy from a heat source. Unless you are Phil Nye, The Science Guy, you probably do not want your kitchen to look like a mad scientist lab. Thus, it is not the optimal process for lead removal.
Lead removal – Carbon Filtration
Some carbon block filters are designed to remove some lead. But the lead-removing ability can quickly become exhausted. As a result, the lead removal capabilities begin to fail. For example, a carbon filter capable of filtering 10,000 gallons of water might only be effective at reducing lead for the first 2,000 gallons. That’s why carbon filters may not always be a reliable treatment method.
Lead Removal – Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis is widely considered to be the best way to protect your household from lead.
Osmosis is a natural process that occurs when two volumes of water are separated by a semi-permeable membrane. A semi-permeable membrane has holes that are small enough to trap contaminants but allow water to flow through. During the reverse osmosis water treatment process, water is pushed (by household water pressure) through a series of filters. The membrane in the reverse osmosis system will filter out the lead and many other contaminants. This allows water to pass through alone. Impurities are eliminated, leaving behind filtered, clean, delicious drinking water. This process is used in water purification, manufacturing plants, and chemical laboratories.
Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis (RO) is a highly effective purification process. And it has a low production cost (only pennies per gallon). RO barely consumes any energy. And the systems are easy to clean and maintain. RO also reduces other harmful contaminants in your water, such as dissolved minerals.
To learn more about how reverse osmosis (RO) works, go to Wikipedia’s information on Reverse Osmosis for lead removal
Options for Lead Removal Using Reverse Osmosis
A 4-Stage 100 GPD Reverse Osmosis System
This system offers the highest quality and performance standards. It has a high capacity output and automatic shut-off. Not to mention, it also has backflow prevention and user-friendly filters. The filters are replaced by simply twisting the used filter off and twisting the new filter on. No tools, no buckets, no mess. This system is a 4 stage, point-of-use RO system. This system treats water at 100 gpd and features a compact size for simple installation under your sink. Please contact Proudfoot Plumbing Heating & Air for additional details.
Specifications:
- Flow Rate: up to 100 Gallons Per Day
- Application: Point-of-Use
- Includes back-flow prevention valves in between filters
- Automatic shut off when filters are removed
- No need to disconnect the tubing
- Hinged filter brackets for easy handling
- Upgraded long reach faucet
- 4 Gallon Plastic Storage Tank (20″ x 9″)
- System Dimensions 20″x16″x3″
A 3-Stage Filtration under counter Max Flow
3-stage filtration under counter with 44% faster water flow, and an additional 200 gallons with each set of filters.
- Designed to improve water PH balance
- Filters lead, cysts, herbicides, and pesticides
- Selective filtration system
- Contaminant reduction 67 total
- Replacement frequency 800 gallons/6 months
- 8¢ per gallon of water
- Flow rate 72 gallons/minute
- Healthy minerals retained
- Smart Filter change indicator
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